A Turn of Events
by Eltoris
Summary: It's late at night, and the boy in question, James Potter, is sitting on his windowsill, doing nothing but thinking, something he doesn't do too often. Slight J/L actual fluff.


**A Turn of Events**

He hated it.

He hated how with each small smile it made him want her even more, how she had his heart in a vice-like grip whenever she brushed her hair back, even how she shot daggers at him with her beautiful emerald eyes.

But most of all, he hated how she made him love her.

And how she never returned it.

Now, the boy in question, his name was James Potter, well-known for making his name as a Marauder, being Sirius Black's best friend, but most of all, the countless times that he had been chasing after the only girl he could never get his hands on.

And that girl would be our dear Lily Evans, who hated James Potter ever since he dropped a bucket full of Repelling Honey on her in the beginning of third grade, and every had stayed a far distance away from her for a week. His only response was to grin cheekily when she demanded an apology. Everyone in Hogwarts, even the seventh years and professors, had witnessed a long tirade of shouting and screaming and cursing – though amusing – directed at James Potter.

Poor Lily's face was crimson in color after all that, and still our boy in question had the guts to giggle helplessly. He ended up falling over and landing in a spot of Repelling Honey himself as well, although Lily was much worse-off.

Alas, that was the beginning of the three-year long battle of charms, hexes, potions, wooing (all from James), cursing (all from Lily, obviously), and much more. It was never boring for anyone, especially Alice Cartwright, Marlene McKinnon, and the rest of the Marauders, and more than often these arguments included James asking Lily, "Will you go out with me?"

Her only answer was no.

However, throughout the years, and after the Incident at the Lake, as Sirius jokingly called it, James had begun to change after he had chased after a tearful Lily down the hallways, given her a heartfelt apology, and got reprimanded by the girl he was infatuated with.

James would remember that moment, word for word, second by second. "Look, Pot – James. It's not that I hate you. Honestly, I really don't, but I will not tolerate this bullying constantly. Sure, maybe Se – Snape –" she had gulped at this point, and furiously wiped away at incoming tears "- maybe he did deserve it. Alright, maybe I was wrong to pick such a friend like him. But if you're ever going to get on my good side, you have to change. "

Then she had poked him in the chest with her wand, given him a watery version of a smile, and then ran for the Gryffindor common room. Alice had come after her, only stopping to give James a little pat on the shoulder and kindly close his open mouth, then ran to go comfort Lily, or do whatever girls did when other girls needed comforting.

Now it was the end of their sixth year at Hogwarts. Lily had finally opened up for him, and James was more than thrilled – exhilarated, even – to know that she had a place in her heart for him, however small. They had become good friends, even going so far to the point where she _flirted_. And as for James – his grades were steadily becoming better (not that they weren't already, but now he was starting to ace some tests), Remus was becoming proud of him, and he had begun to be able to ignore most of the simpering Hufflepuff girls that had always caught his attention for a night or so.

And in all that time he hadn't asked her that one question.

"Will you go out with me?"

It was nearing the eighth hour at night, and James was sitting on the dormitory's windowsill, looking out at the stars and only one thing in his mind.

Lily.

He figured that it was time to ask again. Yes, she might still be with that pig-headed Diggory, but maybe, _hopefully_, they would've broken up several minutes ago already when Sirius had so kindly busted the Hufflepuff in a broom closet with one of the Ravenclaws – Penelope Dalton, if he remembered correctly – but right now James couldn't care less. He had thanked Sirius profusely after the latter had delivered the news to Marlene, and rewarded his best mate with a bottle of Firewhiskey.

So James got up and made his way down to the common room, where he found a blank-faced Lily sitting next to the fire in her favorite armchair, hugging her knees to herself.

_I'll be damned_, James thought to himself, making his way towards her,_ if I haven't seen a prettier girl than her in my whole entire life._

"James?"

Obviously, she had heard him approaching. He cleared his throat and tried to look as casual as possible – not an easy task if you were going to ask a girl a question that had been rusting away in your throat for more a year.

"Er, yes, Lily-dear?" he responded, taking his place on the seat across from her. She turned her head, and he felt the full force of her hypnotizing eyes on his own hazel ones. Then out of her mouth came the very question that he had been waiting to ask her for an eternity and more.

"Go out with me, James."


End file.
